


The Third Time Kate Had Seen Keith Cry

by red_lilies04



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Ranger
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, Shadows of Almia, Slight Angst?, i love this two and they deserve more content, i miss pokemon ranger, mentions of sickness, vatonageshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25635367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_lilies04/pseuds/red_lilies04
Summary: "The two top rangers were expecting their first child."
Relationships: Dazzle | Keith/Hitomi | Kate
Kudos: 15





	The Third Time Kate Had Seen Keith Cry

**Author's Note:**

> kate and keith are around 23-24 in this! this takes place probably 7 years after the events of the game? and since i don't think the protag's little sister officially has a name she's called maddie :)
> 
> i love the ranger series a lot and this ship deserves more love :') i wanted to contribute to the smaller pokemon ranger community so i hope anyone who finds this likes it!!

“Get up Kate! Mom made some veggie soup,” even when she was a teenager, Kate’s younger sister Maddie never lost her cheerful and somewhat childlike attitude. In addition, she was still a morning person, notorious for waking up her older sister minutes after the sun rises. Normally, Kate doesn’t mind her little sister bursting into her room at the break of dawn like a Murkrow on a farm. 

But this morning Kate wasn’t humored. The past few days have been filled with nausea, migraines, and sometimes vomit. She had to take some sick days from the Union and has been staying at her parents’ home in Chicole Village. 

She assured the professor and chairperson that it’s most likely a bad stomach bug when her symptoms first started, and they insisted she went home to her family rather than curling up in pain at her apartment. That way, Kate will be at her best once she returns to her regular ranger duties. 

As of right now, Kate isn’t sure when that will be, but decides her mission of the day will be to get something in her stomach and hopefully not throw it up later. 

“Tell Mom I’ll be down soon,” Kate grumbles and rolls on her side, hoping the position will alleviate the new pain in her lower back. 

“I’ll just bring it up here,” Maddie responded softly, and Kate heard her go downstairs and the muffled murmurs of her voice. 

A few moments later different footsteps came upstairs. An aroma of steaming vegetables and herbs filled the bedroom. A hand combed through Kate’s two-day old bedhead, a kind of warmth that only Kate’s mother can bring. She set the bowel on her daughter’s bedside table and returned downstairs. 

As the aches faded, Kate sat up on her bed and slowly sipped on the soup her mother made. She silently thanked Hastings and Erma for insisting that she returned home to recover. Although she has only been eating her family’s fresh vegetable soup for the past two days since it was the only thing that didn’t make her stomach feel like it was fighting a battle inside of her, there was nothing that could bring her more comfort these past few days. 

She stroked Pachirisu’s fur sleeping next to her. While she felt better physically, her mind was somewhere else. Kate knew this may be more than a bug. After finishing her breakfast Kate forced herself to at least brush her teeth and get dressed. 

Kate checked her phone to see all the messages she missed overnight. There were some get well soon messages from her favorite operators Rhythmi and Linda, followed by several pictures Keith took from his quests the past day. She smiled when she saw him taking a selfie with a Dodrio only for the next image being a blurry action shot of her lover fleeing from the now angry three headed bird.

She replied asking if he were okay along with how much she missed him and hoped that she would feel better already so they can see each other again. Shoving her phone in the pocket of her sweatpants, Kate held on to the railing of the stairs to keep her world from spinning. 

“Are you feeling better honey?” her mom asked once Kate made it to the bottom of the stairs.

“Yeah I’m doing a bit better, I think I’m going to visit the doctor today to get some medicine,” Kate responded slightly sheepishly, worried that her mother was going to interrogate her.

But of course, Kate’s mother just smiled, “Okay sweetie, are you well enough to go on your own?” 

“I’ll be okay! I don’t plan on riding a Staraptor so I won’t get nauseous,” she lightly laughed, relieved that she didn’t question her, as her mother would anyway.

“Call me if you need anything else please, be safe. Don’t worry about bothering or worrying me, you’ll always be my baby.”

***

“You’re about six weeks, Ms. Kate,” Kate hasn’t looked anywhere else but her worn sneakers since she came into her doctor’s office in Vinetown. 

“I…” Kate struggled to find her next words; her mouth was as dry as the Haruba Desert. She cleared her throat, “what… is how I’m feeling morning sickness?”

“Yes, it’s normal for people to experience nausea and or vomiting during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Good news is these symptoms don’t usually exceed past twelve or fourteen weeks. That said, it’s not unusual for a few to continue experiencing symptoms into the second trimester.”

“Can it harm my … child?” that sentence felt more surreal than it felt in Kate’s mind. Her and Keith’s child. 

“No, your baby is perfectly healthy,” the doctor smiled, trying to ease the top ranger’s anxiety, “Just avoid having an empty stomach and try to eat blander foods that are easy to digest. I can also prescribe medication if your symptoms worsen.”

“Thank you,” Kate breathed out and relaxed her shoulders, “What should I do now?”

“Continue to rest and get enough sleep. Being a ranger can be an excruciating job, so it may be best to take it easy and talk to the chairperson about what’s next.” 

“Thank you again, doctor … I’ll see you again soon!” Kate tried her best to smile through the thoughts racing in her mind.

Once she stumbled out of the building, Kate’s finger glossed over Keith’s name in her contacts. How much would change between the two? She swallowed through the lump in her throat and pressed the call icon.

***

“… And then finally, I captured the Dodrio,” Keith breathed out, walking hand in hand with Kate through Nabiki Beach. Kate could only grin after hearing about Keith’s Dodrio “quest” from the other day. Her heart felt lighter and lighter when she remembered how much she loves this hot headed yet soft-spoken at times ranger. 

Yet worries still about their future filled her mind. How would Keith react to such a big change in their lives? What would their relationship look like? Now adults, the two have been inseparable since they became friends in Ranger School. They always had a fondness for each other, and that only grew as they spent more and more time together. 

A change like this can start something new not only in their relationship, and Kate was only words away from one of the biggest moments of her life. 

“Katie,” Keith’s soft voice pulled Kate out of her head, not to mention how much she despises but adores that nickname, “are you feeling okay? Should we get you home?”

“No, no, I’ve been feeling better today,” she forced a small smile to prevent herself from trembling. She was awful at keeping secrets and Keith knew this better than anybody,  
“there’s just been some things on my mind.” She already said too much.

The pair stopped walking and stood at the shore. The faint cries of Wingull and Shellos were almost in sync with the waves crashing against the sand. The soft sunlight rested on Keith’s warm auburn hair as he turned to face the brunette. “Kate, I promise you whatever’s on your mind it’s okay. I’m here for you-,”

“I’m pregnant,” Kate blurted, hiding her pale face in her love’s arms. Keith was quiet for what felt way too long, so she continued, “I – I’m about six weeks… which is probably why I’ve been so sick recently, and… and I was so scared –!”

As Kate breathed out her sentences, Keith kissed the top of her ruffled hair. She forgot to brush it that morning. His warm hands went from Kate’s cheeks to her stomach.  
“Kate …” he whispered, Kate blinked back her tears from spilling, “I love you … so so much, and I just can’t believe this and wow we’re going to be parents and I’m sorry I cut you off but I’m just …” 

Kate heartily laughed for the first time in days and wiped tear droplets from Keith’s rosy cheeks. She has only seen Keith cry three times. The first was in the nurse’s office after he broke his arm trying to do a target clear by himself at school, the second was after Operation Brighton as soon as the two were reunited, and the third was today on Nabiki Beach. The two top rangers were expecting their first child.

“I’m just so happy I’m with you, Keith,” Kate whispered, kissing Keith’s cheek and stroking his hair lovingly. 

“We need to think of names!” he exclaimed, slightly interrupting the intimate moment, “We should make a list when we get home. Is it a boy or a girl?”

“It’s … too soon to tell, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Kate laughed, ecstatic that her lover has never changed since they met. Even now Keith couldn’t sit still. She couldn’t wait to see what the rest of her life with the top ranger will look like.

The inseparable pair returned to Chicole Village hand in hand yet again. Except this time, the pair now has a new team member added to their team.


End file.
